Dorothy Norman 1930 - 1931

Alfred Stieglitz made this silver print portrait of Dorothy Norman sometime in the first half of the twentieth century. What hits me first is the clarity of the image and the tonal range he’s coaxed from the monochrome. It’s a photograph, but it feels like a drawing with light. Looking closely, the texture of her skin, the way the light defines the curve of her cheek, and the soft shadow under her chin is palpable. The way Stieglitz captures the details of her scarf is so precise, yet it doesn't distract from the overall composition. It’s like he's not just recording a likeness, but trying to capture something of her essence, her inner life. Thinking about other photographers who walked a similar path, someone like Paul Strand comes to mind. Both he and Stieglitz were trying to push photography beyond mere documentation. For them, it was about exploring the artistic potential of the medium, finding ways to express something deeper, something more ambiguous and layered.